Hotel Name: Sunderban Tiger Camp
Address: Dayapur, West Bengal 743370
Contact Person:
Tel No: 098308 67600
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://waxpolhotels.com/sunderban-accommodation.html
Hotel Profile
Sunderbans National Park is the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world.
The Sunderbans National Park lies in the south-east of Kolkata in the South 24-Paraganas District of West Bengal and forms part of the Gangetic Delta, close to the Bay of Bengal. The Sunderbans National Park was given the status of a National Park on 4 May 1984. Before this it was been declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1977. It was designated as the core area of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve in December 1973. Sunderbans National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in the year 1985.
The name Sunderbans is perhaps derived from the term meaning ‘the forest of sundari’ (Heritiera fomes), a reference to the large mangrove tree that provides valuable fuel. Along the coast, the southern part of the forest passes into a mangrove swamp, which has numerous wild animals and crocodile-infested estuaries.
Awarded as a “UNESCO World Heritage Site” Sunderbans is the world’s largest delta & mangrove swamp. It is here that the river Ganges creates a unique estuarine forest whose fragile eco-system is supported by numerous rivers and lakes that surround the area. It is also the world’s largest estuarine forest and one of the most attractive and alluring places for any tourist.
The vast swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, Brahmaputra and the Ganges stretches over areas consisting of mangrove forests, swamps and forest island all creating a chain of small rivers and streams. The Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal is home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
These evergreen mangrove forests pulsate with a myriad forms of life. Above the Kingfisher and White-bellied Sea eagle add a brilliant burst of colour. The sea creeps in at high tide. The forests float. The ebbing waters reveal nature so alive on the glistening mud flats. The land is split by numerous rivers and water channels all emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Venture further to discover a rich tribal folklore. It is believed that Bonobibi, the goddess of the forest, protects the wood-cutters, honey-collectors and fishermen on their hazardous missions. For, as the saying goes, `Here the Tiger is always watching you’.
Delta-forest home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The Ganges, which is rightly known as the Ganga, carries silt and fertility from its ice-melt sources in the high Himalayas, through the lush plains of India, past the riverine port of Calcutta. Here, however, it is no longer the Ganga because it has become one of the major distributory. For, in the flat Grey-clay lands of Bengal, the great river splits into numerous channels, dividing and sub-dividing like the roots of a tree, till it pours through many mouths into the Bay of Bengal.
The rich biodiversity of Sunderbans is situated at the southern tip of West Bengal, India. The dense mangrove forests, the flora and the fauna together contribute to the magic of this vast delta. Positioned between the great Indian rivers – The Ganges and the Brahmaputra, Sunderbans even stretches to river Meghna in Bangladesh.
The unique biodiversity of this delta wins applause from all those who visit it. The delta at the meeting point of the great rivers, Ganga and Brahmaputra covers a total area of 9630 square kilometres Out of the 102 islands at Sunderbans, 54 are inhabited and the people here make a living from agriculture, fishing and honey collection.
Sunderbans boasts of being the largest mangrove swamp, the largest delta and the largest Estuarine National Park in the World. The delta is also among the largest Tiger Reserves in the world. It has been bestowed the prestigious honour of being a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 owing to its great natural wealth.
The majestic ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’ adds to the charm of the Sunderbans. The mangrove forest is the only natural abode of the tigers.
